Though I enjoyed certain aspects of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings films, I underwent a surgical procedure after I saw them which removed certain memories of them from my brain. Because I accidentally looked at the doctor's chart, I know for certain what the contents of two of those memories were. The first was a scene of Frodo sending Sam home while in Mordor, and the second was of Frodo waking up in Minas Tirith.

A decade later, my neurosurgeon, digging through my file, came across the latter memory, which had been preserved in video form. With my permission, he posted it on YouTube. So without further ado, here it is.

My memory of the "Frodo waking up in Minas Tirith" scene from Return of the King.

What's wrong with the Frodo waking up scene in the movie? It's a great scene. "Go home Sam" is an entirely different matter, but I quite liked the Rivendell scene. Everyone laughing and celebrating after a terrible hard quest which they each had a part in doesn't strike me as a stupid scene. I guess I just like to see people insanely happy!

The scene idea is a great one, but the execution is where it failed. The saturated light, the slow-mo, the laughing.. I just wish it was a bit closer to the book in tone and feel. I didn't mind the rest of the fellowship showing up... but I wish, maybe it had been just a little less saccharine.

The Stairs scene, sending away Sam was not a favorite nor was it my most hated. I understood (somewhat) the need for that scene to add some more tension but... necessary? No.

There was a very extensive, well-written defense of the scene between Frodo and Sam on here a few months ago...
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I'd have to find it, but the author made some truly excellent points that supported the scene's inclusion and in fact argued - successfully, in my view - that it was a logical evolution of events in the films. It may not be in the books, but within the films it totally works. And ultimately, that's how the changes should be judged: not by their relation to the books, but how they work within the films that PJ established. Again, I'll find the post and link it here later, so that people can see why some don't take issue with Frodo's dismissal of Sam.

As for the Minis Tirith scene, I've never had a problem with it. After all that our characters had gone through, I can't help but smile and laugh myself when I see them all reunited in that room, their moods joyous, entering one by one to greet Frodo. Some people don't, which is fine...I just wish less snark was used to express that disagreement. "Ahahahaha, slo-mo! Laughing! Isn't that so stupid?" doesn't leave much room open for real discussion.

I didn't think I was closing off discussion by expressing my opinion of the execution of that particular scene. I don't dislike "slo-mo" or "laughing" in all instances. Sometimes, I even like laughing. In this particular scene, I didn't care for how it was used. The laughter, TO ME, didn't work. It was a little too "off" for me... I can't place what it is exactly I don't like about it. Maybe it's Frodo's acting in the scene... because really it's only his laugh that I don't like.. Gandalf's works... it kind of bubbles up. I like the idea of a merry meeting between friends who had no hope of seeing each other ever again. I just didn't like that particular execution. The slo-mo was overdone and unnecessary, TO ME, in that scene. I like slo-mo when used sparingly and for effect. There are a couple of instances where I felt it was over-used in the trilogy. This was one of those times. I don't HATE this scene, by the way. I just think it could have been much better and more poignant.

I understand and mostly agree with the reasons for the "sending sam away" scene. Does that mean I have to like it? No, it doesn't. I personally feel there could have been a more elegant way to approach it... maybe not. I'm not a screen writer. I understand that it works within the world of the film, but it's an adaptation of the book, so there has to be comparison. I'm not one of those that think Tolkien was infallible and that there aren't other/better ways that certain events could have transpired. So, having said that, again.. not my favorite scene, but certainly not one of my most hated.

My actual most hated scene is not even really a scene. It's when Frodo and Sam are in Mordor and The Eye is searching for them... Sam yells to Frodo to "watch out" and Frodo does the most awkward pirouette (with his arms elevated) and fall I've ever seen in real-life or on film. I HATE that!! I can't imagine PJ seeing that, saying "nailed it!" also, I hate Eowyn's yell as she drives her sword through the witchking's helmet.

But for me, in the context of the film (the way I judge LOTR) it did not work at all. It was deeply problematic in terms of logic, and it pushed the boundaries of both Frodo and Sam's characters witthin the film, that stretched credulity.

The waking up in Minas Tirith scene just needed a massive tone down. Hazy, sugary lighting, slow motion movement and dialogue, etc. Didn't feel genuine at all. And IMO, it takes a heavy hand to wreck the authenticity of a scene like that.

And, of course, that video is just hilarious and spot-on. Exactly how I felt while watching the scene.

Remember the Jack Black and Sarah Michelle Geller parody of the Council of Elrond? Many LOTR-film lovers found that hilarious, even though it was very irreverent, and poked fun (quite sharply, at times) at core elements of the film.

...so when I read the book I assumed Frodo and Sam splitting up was in the book. I was surprised it wasn't in there, but it did flow better with the way Tolkien wrote it.

But for the film, I can't imagine it NOT being included. Gollum spends the entire first half of ROTK trying to split them up... it's his one victory, and it creates the perfect moment when Sam returns to save Frodo from being eaten by Shelob.

Wouldn't change a thing about the Minas Tirith scene either. Gandalf laughing gets me misty eyed every time. The Grey Pilgrim, they once called me. Three hundred lives of men I walked this earth, and now I have no time...

IMO, it is the super slo-motion that destroys the scene's authenticity. Frodo's laugh and acting is so strange because it has been slowed down considerably.

What pains me is that we didn't need this filmic "device" to tell us that we should be feeling emotional. If all three films, and all the actors in them, worked, then a simple, understated reunion should make us all weep. We don't need to heavy hand pulling the heartstrings.

Instead, this scene says to me: "Laugh and cry, dammit! Laugh and cry! You must!"

It insults both my emotions, and my intelligence.

But I can understand why some people love it unabashedly. If there's one thing that can be said for PJ, it's that he's not a boring, by-the-numbers filmmaker. Even though I don't quite appreciate his style, at least he's not Ron Howard...